FIELDWORKING Choosing your Field Site
· Choose a site that is easy for you to access. You must pick a site that you can access numerous times throughout the semester. You may be interested in mountain climbers or circus clowns, but if you cannot easily access these people throughout the semester, you will not be able to complete your research. Also, you may need special permission to conduct research at some sites, such as businesses. If you cannot quickly and easily obtain permission for your research, you will not be able to finish assignments.
· Choose a site with a distinct subculture. Sites like airports, malls, and restaurants may cause problems for you because the people who frequent them have no connection to the sites. The more public a site is, the more difficult it can be to find a subculture. Also, if a site is too private, it can also prove difficult to research. Ask yourself these questions when choosing your site: do people at the site share feelings of belonging? Would they identify themselves as part of a group linked to a site? Do they use insider language? If your answer is no, your site does not have a distinct subculture.
· Choose a site that you can enter. Some field sites contain a subculture that is so closely knit that you cannot “step in” enough to conduct your research. Such a site might have a subculture that is too private or too hostile for you to talk to people or to just hang around and observe. Make sure your site has people that will be willing to give you information.
· Choose a site, rather than a topic. In this class, you will need to conduct field research, which means that you should start with a specific place you are going to research. Having a specific site will give you the opportunity to observe a subculture and interview its members, as well as to conduct library research and develop theories. Simply having a topic will lead you to a typical library research paper, which is not the object of this class. Having a specific topic or idea in mind before you start researching could also bias your observations, so try to approach it with as open a mind as possible.
· Choose a safe field site. Some field sites may seem like interesting topics for your research, but illegal or dangerous activities that go on there make your research a hazard. Other sites might be dangerous to visit alone or at night. Think carefully about whether your site is safe enough to visit with no worries.
· Be unconventional and creative. If you have an original idea for a field site that sounds interesting to you, I am willing to work with you if at all possible to make it happen. Research can by very enjoyable if you are excited about your topic of study.
~ by Christy Foreman
Rules for Choosing a Field Site for this Class Specifically
Community must have specific parameters and community members (there have to be real people involved that you are able to interact with)
Student must be an outsider to the community
No online communities
No fraternities or sororities
No schools or daycares
Simile
Similes, as we all know, are comparisons using “like” or “as.” To say they are comparisons is of course to say they are a type of analogy. When used (as they generally are) for elucidating purposes, analogies work by comparing something less known or understood to something better known or understood. Remember that what comes immediately after the “like” or “as” is offered as the better-known part. (E.g., “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.”)
When using similes, which work very well for descriptive writing, it does help to have—as many seasoned writers do—a few ready-made, prefabricated sentence structures. (To use a clichéd, metaphorical comparison, they’re some of the tools of the trade.) Those barebones structures can be readily adapted to meet the needs of many writing situations.
Take these four examples of simile from a justly celebrated writer, P. G. Wodehouse. Then note the basic structure. He wilted like a salted snail. In the identical structure: He shied like a startled horse. subject verb like article adjective/past participle noun her face shining like the seat of a bus driver’s trousers. noun adjective/present participle like article noun preposition article possessive noun/adjective noun He looked like a sheep with a secret sorrow. subject verb like article noun preposition article adjective noun
You can of course modify these examples however you'd like. You could add adverbs to modify adjectives and/or verbs, for example. Or you can use entire clauses, not just phrases, following the “like” or “as.”
Try out a few of these while describing your site in WA4!
~Modified from Michelle Tvete
Description Exercise:
Take about 5-10 minutes to practice your AMAZING descriptive techniques and describe the "site," or image I give you
While you're writing it I want you to pretend like you're sitting right there next to a"window" that looks into the site
taking your field notes describing the site.
**Use as much descriptive language as you can
**However, "avoid adjectives and adverbs that contain assumptions or stereotypes about people, places, or things"
(remember, we're being ethical) (FW 175)
**Once you've written a solid paragraph return to your notes and ask yourself these questions:
Look for certain areas in the picture that you focused more on than others and consider -
1) Why did you focus on one element rather than others?
2) What types of descriptions or metaphors did you use? Why do you think you chose those rather than others?
3) Were there any descriptions you chose not to use, because they may have been inappropriate?
Interviews When conducting interviews the first thing you need to do is prepare. Make an appointment with the interviewee and prepare your questions in advance. While preparing, consider a few things: ~Who are you interviewing? You may consider dressing professionally, or more comfortably depending on the individual. ~What kinds of things do you want to learn from this person? Those things can direct your questions... ~Be prepared for unexpected answers... it's always a possibility. What will you do to regain composure? ~Keep an eye on surrounding artifacts that you may want to ask questions about. How will you word those questions? ~Remember that you're interviewing this person for a reason- don't get too far off topic. ~Remember the kinds of questions you ask and their purpose: ~Closed questions- where are you from. How old are you. Do you like dogs? Those are very easy to answer... yes, no, etc. ~Then there are also Open Questions: These allow the participant to include their own perspectives and lead the conversation a bit differently. When asking Open Questions remember to listen, pay attention, and be ready to respond.
Page 226 Has some great Ideas for conducting Interviews: -Arrange interviews at your informant's convenience -Explain your project plainly -Agree on a quiet place to talk -Arrive on time and be prepared -Dress appropriately -Don't try to do too much in a short amount of time -Don't forget to thank your informant
Artifacts Exercise: On a sheet of paper please tell me the following: *1* Your name *2* Your partner's name *3* Your partner's artifact *4* The function of this artifact *5* Why this artifact is important to your partner *6* One literacy necessary to understand or use this artifact
Choosing your Field Site
· Choose a site that is easy for you to access. You must pick a site that you can access numerous times throughout the semester. You may be interested in mountain climbers or circus clowns, but if you cannot easily access these people throughout the semester, you will not be able to complete your research. Also, you may need special permission to conduct research at some sites, such as businesses. If you cannot quickly and easily obtain permission for your research, you will not be able to finish assignments.
· Choose a site with a distinct subculture. Sites like airports, malls, and restaurants may cause problems for you because the people who frequent them have no connection to the sites. The more public a site is, the more difficult it can be to find a subculture. Also, if a site is too private, it can also prove difficult to research. Ask yourself these questions when choosing your site: do people at the site share feelings of belonging? Would they identify themselves as part of a group linked to a site? Do they use insider language? If your answer is no, your site does not have a distinct subculture.
· Choose a site that you can enter. Some field sites contain a subculture that is so closely knit that you cannot “step in” enough to conduct your research. Such a site might have a subculture that is too private or too hostile for you to talk to people or to just hang around and observe. Make sure your site has people that will be willing to give you information.
· Choose a site, rather than a topic. In this class, you will need to conduct field research, which means that you should start with a specific place you are going to research. Having a specific site will give you the opportunity to observe a subculture and interview its members, as well as to conduct library research and develop theories. Simply having a topic will lead you to a typical library research paper, which is not the object of this class. Having a specific topic or idea in mind before you start researching could also bias your observations, so try to approach it with as open a mind as possible.
· Choose a safe field site. Some field sites may seem like interesting topics for your research, but illegal or dangerous activities that go on there make your research a hazard. Other sites might be dangerous to visit alone or at night. Think carefully about whether your site is safe enough to visit with no worries.
· Be unconventional and creative. If you have an original idea for a field site that sounds interesting to you, I am willing to work with you if at all possible to make it happen. Research can by very enjoyable if you are excited about your topic of study.
~ by Christy Foreman
Rules for Choosing a Field Site for this Class Specifically
Simile
Similes, as we all know, are comparisons using “like” or “as.” To say they are comparisons is of course to say they are a type of analogy. When used (as they generally are) for elucidating purposes, analogies work by comparing something less known or understood to something better known or understood. Remember that what comes immediately after the “like” or “as” is offered as the better-known part. (E.g., “Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives.”)When using similes, which work very well for descriptive writing, it does help to have—as many seasoned writers do—a few ready-made, prefabricated sentence structures. (To use a clichéd, metaphorical comparison, they’re some of the tools of the trade.) Those barebones structures can be readily adapted to meet the needs of many writing situations.
Take these four examples of simile from a justly celebrated writer, P. G. Wodehouse. Then note the basic structure.
He wilted like a salted snail.
In the identical structure:
He shied like a startled horse.
subject verb like article adjective/past participle noun
her face shining like the seat of a bus driver’s trousers.
noun adjective/present participle like article noun preposition article possessive noun/adjective noun
He looked like a sheep with a secret sorrow. subject verb like article noun preposition article adjective noun
You can of course modify these examples however you'd like. You could add adverbs to modify adjectives and/or verbs, for example. Or you can use entire clauses, not just phrases, following the “like” or “as.”
Try out a few of these while describing your site in WA4!
~Modified from Michelle Tvete
Description Exercise:
Take about 5-10 minutes to practice your AMAZING descriptive techniques and describe the "site," or image I give you
While you're writing it I want you to pretend like you're sitting right there next to a"window" that looks into the site
taking your field notes describing the site.
**Use as much descriptive language as you can
**However, "avoid adjectives and adverbs that contain assumptions or stereotypes about people, places, or things"
(remember, we're being ethical) (FW 175)
**Once you've written a solid paragraph return to your notes and ask yourself these questions:
Look for certain areas in the picture that you focused more on than others and consider -
1) Why did you focus on one element rather than others?
2) What types of descriptions or metaphors did you use? Why do you think you chose those rather than others?
3) Were there any descriptions you chose not to use, because they may have been inappropriate?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7RqF7qUJ5E
Interviews
When conducting interviews the first thing you need to do is prepare. Make an appointment with the interviewee and prepare your questions in advance.
While preparing, consider a few things:
~Who are you interviewing? You may consider dressing professionally, or more comfortably depending on the individual.
~What kinds of things do you want to learn from this person? Those things can direct your questions...
~Be prepared for unexpected answers... it's always a possibility. What will you do to regain composure?
~Keep an eye on surrounding artifacts that you may want to ask questions about. How will you word those questions?
~Remember that you're interviewing this person for a reason- don't get too far off topic.
~Remember the kinds of questions you ask and their purpose:
~Closed questions- where are you from. How old are you. Do you like dogs? Those are very easy to answer... yes, no, etc.
~Then there are also Open Questions: These allow the participant to include their own perspectives and lead the conversation a bit differently. When asking Open Questions remember to listen, pay attention, and be ready to respond.
Page 226 Has some great Ideas for conducting Interviews:
-Arrange interviews at your informant's convenience
-Explain your project plainly
-Agree on a quiet place to talk
-Arrive on time and be prepared
-Dress appropriately
-Don't try to do too much in a short amount of time
-Don't forget to thank your informant
Artifacts Exercise:
On a sheet of paper please tell me the following:
*1* Your name
*2* Your partner's name
*3* Your partner's artifact
*4* The function of this artifact
*5* Why this artifact is important to your partner
*6* One literacy necessary to understand or use this artifact
Artifacts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ou4yoD-9wL8
Artifacts
You're going to find all kinds of artifacts when you visit your site from physical items that you might be able to borrow for
your presentation (clothing, food, equipment, utensils, etc.), and also some pretty awesome things that you can't quite
borrow (vehicles, buildings, artwork, etc.). For the things you can borrow, feel free to ask! For some other items, you are
welcome (with the permission of the individuals involved) to take photos or videos to present.
FW describes an artifact as "material objects that represent the culture" of your site.
Even though artifacts are objects (sometimes even people!), they are still readable texts. So, as you're "reading" your field
site and interviewing your site, keep in mind how you read the artifacts as well.
"Researchers use the term material culture to refer to those personal artifacts loaded with meaning and history that people
mark as special: tools, musical instruments, foods, toys, jewelry, ceremonial objects, and clothes" (FW 124).
Check out the beaded artifacts above. Pretend like you found one of these artifacts at your field site.
What kinds of things might you assume about the artifact?
What do assume the purpose of this kind of artwork is?
How do you think the art form itself was originally created?
How long ago do you expect that was?
What kinds of questions do the artifacts prompt you to ask the owners?
What would you ask about the process of creating the artwork?
As a GROUP:
1) Write up a detailed description of the object
2) Describe what you think might be the significance of the object. What might make it significant to the person who owns it or the site that it's at?
3) What does the object mean to you?
4) write down three appropriate questions that you might ask if this were an artifact from your own site.